Question Answered

I received this question in an E-mail today. I thought that others might be interested in this subject, so the question and answer are copied below (the person’s name is omitted). This person has anxiety and panic attacks and asks if adjustments will help that condition.
Answer:
Chiropractic benefits people by correcting interference that can occur in the body’s central nerve system.
The brain is responsible to control and coordinate the function of the body and it uses a vast network of nerves, like a wiring system, to communicate with the various cells, tissues and organs of the body. The spinal cord is the main “cable” that carries messages from the brain through the movable bones of the spinal column. Those bones are intended to protect the nerves passing through them. However, if one of those bones gets misaligned it can have just the opposite effect. Instead of protecting the nerve system, a misaligned vertebra can become an insult to the spinal cord and nerves passing through it.
The scientific name for this circumstance is, “vertebral subluxation.” The resultant nerve interference can disturb function in ways that are both predictable and unpredictable. But either way, a vertebral subluxation is damaging to the performance of the body. Simply put, a subluxation in the spine interferes with the function of the body.
Since communication between the brain and other body parts is essential to regulate body chemistry, deleterious effects are inevitable, while remaining difficult to forecast. When a chiropractor identifies a vertebra in a subluxated situation, he or she will endeavor to correct the subluxation, not to treat any particular condition or disease, but because good nerve supply is essential to the function of the body.
To address your question most specifically, I would not offer chiropractic adjustments to treat anxiety, panic attacks or any other condition. Yet an important question needs to be asked. Who needs a good nerve supply more than someone who is experiencing anxiety and panic attacks? Precise chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxation allow for better performance. In my practice experience patients have reported positive changes in many conditions that were not predictable, yet through the correction of vertebral subluxation, they observed pleasing improvements in many facets of their family’s health and performance. So the right answer to this question is that chiropractic is not for treating conditions, but to improve function. Every family member benefits from improved nerve system function. I would recommend finding a chiropractor who can provide a precise spinal analysis and adjustment of vertebral subluxations.
For a look at a study that explored how anxiety was reduced for patients receiving chiropractic adjustments: click here